Gary Lineker has retained his position as the BBC's highest paid presenter, earning £1.35 million in the last financial year, according to the corporation's annual report. The Match of the Day host's pay remained unchanged from the previous year, despite being suspended for criticising government language on asylum policy.
The BBC's second highest earner, Zoe Ball, also saw her salary stay at £980,000. Meanwhile, Huw Edwards, the News at Ten presenter, became the BBC's highest paid journalist after a £25,000 pay rise brought his total to £435,000, placing him fourth overall behind pundit Alan Shearer (£445,000) and ahead of Stephen Nolan (£415,000).
The annual report reveals significant financial challenges for the BBC, with 500,000 fewer households paying the £159 licence fee compared to last year. The broadcaster is also struggling to attract younger audiences, with only 76% of 16- to 34-year-olds using any BBC service weekly, down from 81%.
Dame Elan Closs Stephens, the BBC's interim chair, said the corporation must serve both broadcast and digital-only audiences in a harsh financial environment. The BBC's income has fallen by 30% in real terms since 2010 due to inflation and licence fee freezes.
The median gender pay gap increased from 5.9% to 7.3%, the second rise since 2017. The BBC attributed this to fluctuations in hiring and leavers. The threshold for disclosing salaries rose to £178,000, meaning only 135 employees were named, down from 220 under the previous threshold.
